Deciding to have a baby comes with a certain level of expectation. We typically expect the process to happen quickly, but we also assume it will be easy, too.
What if it isn’t, though?
What if, instead of a streamlined conception experience, you’re left to wander the path of infertility during your quest to become a parent?
This can be an overwhelming reality to face.
Finding ways to handle infertility with as little stress as possible can seem challenging. Sure, you can get a top-rated fertility clinic to handle your IVF process or use Donor Egg Bank USA’s network of premier practices to find a trustworthy egg donor, but choosing the “best of the best” to work with won’t entirely protect you from the pressures that come from undergoing fertility treatment.
While finding reputable doctors and award-winning fertility organizations is an excellent place to start, it’s essential to find ways of managing the strain of your treatment experience.
If you want to move through your conception journey with as little stress as possible, why not consider these five great tips you can use along the way?
1. Find the Right Time to Start Treatment
When you’ve already been trying to get pregnant for some time, the idea of pressing pause on the experience can seem ridiculous. On the contrary, it’s crucial to be practical about starting your fertility treatment.
Whether you’re using IUI, egg donation, or IVF, these types of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) require a time commitment.
Experiences like moving to a new home or starting a new promotion at work are time-consuming on their own. If you add infertility treatment into the mix, you’re only going to increase your stress and lessen your chances of success.
Be considerate of your time when you decide you’re ready to pursue treatment. While there’s never a perfect moment to start a family, certain times are better than others.
2. Find Someone to Talk To
The amount of financial, physical, and mental strain that comes with fertility treatment can feel intense and exhausting. When these emotions are starting to pile up, keeping them bottled inside will only compound their effects and cause more stress.
Having someone to talk to about your fertility experience is vital. Whether it’s your partner, a friend, family member, or counselor, look for someone you can trust to lend a listening ear throughout the process.
3. Search for Support Groups
While this tip goes hand-in-hand with number two, it provides its own unique set of benefits. It’s not always easy to find someone you know to serve as your infertility confidant—that’s where support groups come in.
Look on Facebook, in your community, or through your fertility clinic to find infertility support groups that will understand the experience you’re undertaking.
Not only do these groups provide tight-knit communities for you to talk with, but they’re invaluable resources throughout your treatment.
If you have questions or need recommendations, these groups have first-hand knowledge of what you’re going through.
4. Practice Self-Care
When an individual is hoping to conceive, it can be easy for them to place their entire focus on the baby they dream of having. However, it’s crucial to carve some time and space to think of yourself. Self-care is a necessary part of any infertility treatment process. Whether you’re using a surrogate, IVF, or undergoing a donor egg cycle, you must find ways to continue caring for your mental and physical needs.
Are you looking for better ways to practice self-care that will reduce stress?
Why not try one of these options:
- Journaling
- Yoga
- Taking a bath
- Meditation
- Date night with your partner
5. Be Kind to Yourself
Most importantly, be gentle with yourself throughout your conception journey. Infertility comes with a wide range of the highest highs and the lowest lows.
As you work your way through the ebbs and flows of treatment, try to minimize the amount of blame you place on yourself. Instead, understand things might not always work out the way you hope they will, and believe there’s room for positive outcomes down the road, even in the event of failure.
Managing infertility with zero stress is a near impossibility. However, this doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to make the most of your experience.
Take your time, be thoughtful, and be kind to your mind and body throughout treatment. After all, the less stress you feel, the better your chances of success will be in the long run.